Man allegedly poses as female plastic surgeon to give 'breast exams'

Boise
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Police arrested a man who allegedly posed as a female medical doctor after he convinced at least two women at local bars that he was a plastic surgeon. Police say he then fondled their breasts under the guise of what they believed to be a medical exam.

The Boise, Idaho Police were called to a downtown medical office by employees of a licensed plastic surgeon the morning of Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Office employees reported to the officer they had taken several calls in recent weeks from women asking for a doctor claiming they had appointments, even surgeries scheduled with that doctor, according to the police report.

The employees became concerned because the doctor's name, Dr. Berlyn Aussieahshowna, was unknown to them. Medical staff provided the names of two of the callers to the police officer for investigation.

Boise police officers spoke with the women, who are unknown to each other, and each reported they initially met a person claiming to be Dr. Aussieahshowna in a local bar; one met the suspect in a bar in downtown Boise, the other in Meridian.

The women each reported they had seen the suspect at the bar on more than one occasion. The women said the suspect's vocabulary and apparent medical knowledge eventually convinced them the suspect was a plastic surgeon.

Both victims say the suspect, acting as Dr. Aussieahshowna, gave them the phone number of the legitimate plastic surgeon's office when the victims asked for a contact number.

After an investigation into the matter the suspect was identified as Kristina B. Ross, 37, of Boise.

Investigating officers found the alleged suspect Ross is not, nor has ever been a licensed medical doctor and never worked in the medical office where the victims were referred. Investigators have also found no evidence of any medical doctor licensed in Idaho with the name Berlyn Aussieahshowna.

Ross was arrest and booked into the Ada County Jail on a $100,000 bond for two felony charges of practicing medicine without a license.

Prosecutors said in court Wednesday that one woman disrobed for Ross and another was grabbed above her clothes. Ross, who has a previous criminal history in Idaho as a man, currently identifies herself as a woman. She is booked into the Ada County Jail as a woman and is being held in protective custody by herself at this time

Prosecutors asked for a $100,000 bond for Ross, saying the “most concerning facts here are that (Ross) is not a doctor and that (Ross) is a male touching women’s breasts under the guise of being a female doctor.”

Ross gasped, “Oh my god!” when prosecutors made that claim, according to the Idaho Statesman.

The Statesman reports that Ross was convicted of aggravated battery in Twin Falls in 2003 under the name Kristina Ross, but was classified by the Idaho Department of Correction as a man. She was kept in a male prison between Oct. 2004 to 2008 and her gender on IDOC documents is listed as MTF (male to female) when she entered custody in 2004. She was not housed in the general population, IDOC officials say.

A preliminary hearing on the two charges of practicing medicine without a license is scheduled for Dec. 1. Ross faces five years on each charge.

Ross did not address the judge directly in the hearing Wednesday and his court appointed attorney did not bring up the gender issue.

Detectives say they fear there may be others victims who allowed Ross, acting as doctor, to perform fake exams with the promise of plastic surgery, including breast augmentation or related surgery, liposuction, laser or body shaping treatments.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have information to please call Crime Stoppers at 208-343-COPS or log onto www.343cops.com, or text CRIMES or 274637, subject: Tip236.